Gasoline particulate filters (GPF) are critical new components in helping automakers meet the new China 6 automotive emissions standard for gasoline vehicles, which will be implemented beginning in 2020.

“Continued investment in Hefei will help Corning serve customer demand throughout the Asia Pacific region for a variety of emissions control products, including gasoline particulate filters,” said Wu Dan, regional operations director, APAC, Corning Environmental Technologies, after a signing ceremony with Hefei officials on July 16. “Corning has been committed to supporting China’s clean-air initiatives and auto industry since we first entered the China market in the early 1980s and started local emissions control production operations in 2001.”

The existing Hefei facility will be scaling operations over the first half of 2019, with initial production focused on DuraTrap® GC filters. Construction of the new expansion is expected to be completed next year and production will coincide with China 6 regulatory implementation. Designed for flexibility, the expansion will also have the potential to meet future market demand for a variety of emissions control products.

China will be the second market to introduce particulate filtration of gasoline engine exhaust, after Europe implements Euro 6d regulations in September this year. China 6 emissions standards call for a significant reduction in both gaseous and fine particulate emissions from all gasoline engine vehicles, under new real-driving emissions (RDE) testing. These standards necessitate the use of particulate filtration in the treatment of gasoline exhaust. Once China 6 regulations are fully implemented in 2023, most gasoline vehicles in China will require a gasoline particulate filter.

Leveraging particulate filters in gasoline systems is an important engineering advancement for clean-vehicle technology in China as gasoline vehicles continue to grow in popularity. Advanced gasoline engines, including high-performance gasoline-direct-injection (GDI) engines, offer consumers better fuel economy without sacrificing engine performance. However, they produce a high number of fine particulates, such as PM2.5, that impact air quality and human health.

DuraTrap® GC filters are engineered specifically for gasoline engines, giving automakers a next-generation emissions control solution with proven capability to deliver high filtration efficiency of fine particulates, helping them introduce cleaner and safer gasoline vehicles that meet new emissions standards.

Corning is a leading supplier of advanced cellular ceramic substrates and ceramic particulate filters for the world's major manufacturers of gasoline and diesel vehicles. The company invented an economical, high-performance, cellular ceramic substrate in the early 1970s that is now the standard for catalytic converters worldwide. In 1978, Corning developed the cellular ceramic particulate filter to remove soot from diesel emissions. Corning continues to leverage its expertise in material science and manufacturing to develop market-leading emissions control solutions that help our customers meet new emissions standards and enable cleaner air worldwide.

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About Corning Incorporated

Corning (www.corning.com) is one of the world's leading innovators in materials science, with a more than 165-year track record of life-changing inventions. Corning applies its unparalleled expertise in glass science, ceramic science, and optical physics along with its deep manufacturing and engineering capabilities to develop category-defining products that transform industries and enhance people's lives. Corning succeeds through sustained investment in RD&E, a unique combination of material and process innovation, and deep, trust-based relationships with customers who are global leaders in their industries.